


A Close Call

by NairobiWonders



Category: Elementary (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Motel Fic, Platonic joanloc, with a hint of romantic joanlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 13:04:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5627623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NairobiWonders/pseuds/NairobiWonders
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Investigation on a private case takes them out of state and proves much more dangerous than anticipated. An overnight stay becomes unavoidable.</p><p>Fluff hurt/comfort fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Close Call

Joan turned down the sheets. The bed was on the small side of a full size. But the mattress was firm and the linens were clean. “Go take a hot shower, it’ll ease some of the pain. I’ll go see if they have ibuprofen at the front desk.”

Sherlock stood stock still, blinking at her and trying not to wince. “Watson, I am not your patient. I am not injured. And I am not a child.”

“Yes. Yes you are. You are injured, you are therefore my patient and you certainly are acting like a child. Now go. Do you need help undressing?”

He stared at her trying to decide if flippancy or outrage was the better response.

Watson moved towards him, “I’m tired, Sherlock. It’s been a strenuous day for both us. If I have to undress and bathe you, I will.”

He harrumphed and moved towards the room’s small bathroom with a fast and strong gait put on for her benefit. She was right, he was in pain. He called over his shoulder, “Neither of us have a change of clothes, shall we go au-natural?”

Joan didn’t take the bait. "Do as you wish, Sherlock. Just do it quickly.“

He slid into the bathroom without further comment and she left in search of pain relievers.

Investigation on a private case had taken them into the wilds of Rhode Island, taken longer than planned and proved much more dangerous than anticipated. An overnight stay became unavoidable.

By the time Joan got back to the room, Sherlock was tucked between the crisp white sheets. Flat on his back, he scrolled through his phone, "What kept you?”

She set down the convenience store bag on the bed. Sherlock looked up to find her staring at him in a rather unkindly manner. “The front desk was out. I had to go shopping.”

“Ah….” She looked rather exhausted, he thought. His words lost their edge. "Your turn, then. The water is hot and the pressure is good.“

Expressionless, Joan rummaged through her purchases. She handed him the box of ibuprofen. "Take three with a full glass of water.”

“And shall I call you in the morning?” He put on his most innocent face.

Joan said nothing and headed for the bathroom.

The hot shower helped her muscles release the tension they’d been holding since this afternoon. More at ease, she moved to get dressed and was relieved to find her blouse was long enough to serve as a night shirt.

She walked out of the bathroom to find the overhead light off, the bedside lamp on and Sherlock still scrolling through his phone.

Joan climbed on to the bed and sitting on her knees, stared down at him until he was forced to look up. He was shirtless.

“Are you wearing underwear?” Her question was quick and direct.

He gave her a rather coquettish look, “Would you like to check?”

Joan knew what he was doing. The man was in pain, he’d had a near fatal attack and he was trying to make light of it.

“Won’t be anything I haven’t seen before, I’m sure.” To his surprise, she took hold of the sheets and pulled them down. He was wearing boxers.

“What are you doing?” He asked as he held his phone aloft.

Joan took the phone from his hand and set it on the nightstand. “Get on your stomach.”

Always one to take an order in bed, Sherlock did as he was told. Joan opened the tube of Icy Hot, and squeezed a generous amount onto her hands.

The pungent smell alerted Sherlock as to what was coming and he prepared himself. Without a word, she spread the ointment across his lower back and massaged it in. He tried not to react but he could not keep back the grunts of pain.

“I’m sorry,” she smoothed out the white streaks across his back. “I know it hurts but it will help in the long run.”

“No worries, Watson. I appreciate it.” The words were muffled by his pillow.

Joan slightly lowered the waistband of his boxers to better reach his lower back.

He turned his head towards her, “Now that would ease the pain immensely.”

She side-eyed him, “Stop it.” She slathered and massaged the ointment on to his lower back. Raising the waistband back up, she reached for the towel she’d brought from the bathroom and wiped her hands. “That should start working pretty soon.”

Joan reached over him and turned off the bedside lamp. She got into bed beside him and pulled the covers over both of them.

He listened to her breath for a few seconds. The darkness made him brave. “Are you alright, Watson?” The quiet manner and concerned tone of his words caught her off guard. She turned on her side, his face visible to her in the blue light filtering in from the parking lot.

She wasn’t sure if it was that same darkness, his concern or just having reached the end of her ability to hide it all, but Joan broke. She moved forward and placed her forehead onto his bare upper arm and after a few moments, spoke. “I was so scared, Sherlock …. So scared.” Her soft words were choked with emotion. ".... scared I was going to lose you,“ she whispered into the warmth of his skin.

All thought of pain was forgotten, as Sherlock moved suddenly up onto his side and she moved forward into his arms.

He felt her tears on his skin and it tore at his heart. "I’m sorry, Watson, I’m sorry … I never saw him coming. I should have been better prepared … I was trying to keep him away from you.” He held onto her a little tighter, feeling her shake in his arms.

“That ravine … You were inches from falling …. falling away from me … Forever … And I couldn’t stop it … Couldn’t help …” The prickling sensation of fear and helplessness flooded back to her, overwhelming her.

“It’s alright, it’s alright …” He cooed in her ear. “You won’t be rid of me that easy…”

She pulled her head up, cheeks tear stained and met his eyes. “Don’t … Just don’t make a joke out of this … You may not care but …”

He stopped her, his words were whispered with urgency, “I care …very much …. All I could think of was you … If I went over, he’d go after you next …. Strong as you are, you’d have been no match for that behemoth…. I couldn’t …. I won’t ever let anything or anyone hurt you … ”

They clung to each other.

She pressed her cheek to his, her mouth at his ear, “Maybe it’s time we move to the countryside. You can raise bees and continue your research and I can finally take time to write.”

“That sounds quite appealing…,” he murmured drowsily into her neck.

“A nice house with enough land to grow our own vegetables … Close to the city and the shore of course ….” She continued laying out the details of their future life to which he marked his agreement with an occasional “mm hmm” until sleep carried both of them away.


End file.
